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HISTORY
OF Cagayan
de Oro City |
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Two
thousand years ago, there were already ancient Kagay-anons
living around the vicinity of Hulaga, Himologan and Tagbalitang
caves around 8 kilometers south of Cagayan de Oro City.
Fr.
Francisco Demetrio, S.J., noted archeologist and Filipino
folklorist of Xavier University had collected tools, implements,
potteries and shards from these areas and subjected these to the
Carbon dating process at the Philippine Historical Museum to
determine their age.
It was found that these tools and implements were
already used by the ancient Kagay-anons during the Neolithic
Age.
This shows how old Cagayan de Oro is before the
coming of the Spanish “conquistadors” to the Philippines in
march 1521. There were three great Sultanates of Mindanao and
Sulu.
These were Sultanates of Sulu under Sheriff
Aljaluddin, the Sultanate of Maguindanao under Sheriff Mawi, and
Tagoloan under Sheriff Mohammed Kabungsuwan.
The Sultanate of Tagoloan extended from Baloi, Lanao
del Sur, to Butuan, Cagayan de Oro (or Kalambaguhan, by which
name it was then known), was merely a passageway from Baloi to
Butuan, which was already a great trading center like Zugbu,
Panay and Manila.
Kalambaguhan has a small settlement of Bukidnons who
lived along the riverbanks of the Kalambaguhan River. This river
(now the Cagayan River) was so known because of the “Lambago”
trees that grew profusely along its banks.
During this time, however, the Cachel Corralat
(Sultan Kudarat) marauding warriors attacked such places as
Manticao, Tagnipa, (El Salvador), Iligan and Kalambaguhan to
bring these places with their domain. They captured the women,
children and working animals of the inhabitants in these places
and brought them to their Sultanate.
Because of these constant raids, the Bukidnons along
the river fled to the hills of Hulaga led by their ruler, Datu
Salangsang.
Sometime in 1622, long after the Spaniards had
established themselves at Butuan, Spanish friars under Fray
Agustin de San Pedro known as “El Padre Capitan” went to see
Datu Salangsang and sought to invite him and his people to come
down to their told settlement at Kalambaguhan under the
protection of the Spaniards.
Datu Salangsang’s aunt, a Christianized woman of
influence whose name was Magdalena Bacuya. With a messenger from
El Padre Capitan reiterated his offer to Datu Salangsang and
convinced him to come down to their ancient settlement of
Kalambaguhan.
To protect the Bukidnons from the constant raids of
the Muslim from Cachel Corralat, El Padre Capitan built a
fortification around the settlement, which is now Gaston Park.
Several raids of the Maguindanao warriors were
repulsed by the courageous El Padre Capitan that the Muslims
never returned again to the settlement.
It was from this small settlement that the present
Cagayan de Oro originated. A small church was built on the site,
which later became the present San Agustin Cathedral.
Thereby, the fame of El Padre Capitan as an able
military strategist, spread far and wide. He vanquished the
Muslims around Lake Lanao.
The people of Cagayan de Oro come from a blend of two
cultures those of the Muslims and Bukidnons. These were the
native people that had settled in the region long before the
coming of the Spaniards in fact, the first Christians among
these natives were the Muslims from Lanao who were the
descendants of the Samporna clan.
They were the first to be baptized along with the
Bato-Batos, the Wagas, Abas, Dagumbals and several families.
How did Cagayan de Oro got
its name?
Pre-War folks said that Cagayan came from “Cagaycay,
” an ancient Bukidnon word meaning to rake in the earth either
with one’s bare hands or with a piece of wood. It also means
rocks gathered from the river or ores raked in from the hillside
or streams.
Gold have always been abundant in the Cagayan River
gold ores are still found in the nearby of Cagayan as Tumpagon,
Pigsag-an, Tuburan, Taglimao and other nearby places. Before the
Spaniards came to Cagayan (or Kalambaguhan), there were already
places where on could rake in the earth.
ANOTHER
VERSION IS MORE ROMANTIC
Another version of how Cagayan de Oro got its name is
told in of that story of a Bukidnon chieftain on the eastern
side of Cagayan River (whose name according to old folks was
Mansicampo), once had a quarrel with a Muslim Datu across the
river (now the RER Subdivision), his name was Bagongsalibo.
The quarrel became intense that the Bukidnon
chieftain wanted it settled by war. However, the Muslim Datu
across the river wanted to live in peace with his people in that
part of Cagayan.
Mansicampo then called on all his followers and
relatives from the Bukidnon tribes of Daan Lunsod, gathered on
the eastern side of the river ready for combat then Mansicampo
ordered his son, the Bagani, to go and see Datu Bagongsalibo and
arranged for a council of war.
Therefore, the young prince went to see the Muslim
Datu and confirmed with him. During the conference, however the
young prince noted that there was a beautiful young woman who
kept on peeping from behind a door looking at him.
She was so beautiful that the young prince was
immediately captivated and forgot his main purpose in the
council. The young prince immediately proposed his intentions to
the Muslim Datu who was only too willing to accept his land in
marriage as he was not very keen about going to war against a
neighbor.
When the Bukidnon chieftain heard about his son
proposing marriage to the daughter of his enemy. His warriors
bid goodbye and left to live near the hills of Lumbia vowing
never return to his former settlement which he now call “Kagayha-an”
(or in Bukidnon, a place of shame).
Since then, Cagayan de Oro has grown into one of the
most peaceful and progressive cities in the entire Philippines. |
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